1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to link bags and a method of and apparatus for filling the same, and is more particularly concerned with the provision of such bags having tamper evident means.
In U.S. Pat. No. 4,665,552 dated May 12, 1987 and assigned to the same assignee as the present application, there is desclosed an arrangement of integrally serially connected top fillable chain bags especially suitable for manual filling according to a simple method and uncomplicated manually and treadle operated apparatus. The present invention comprises improvements in respect to the disclosure of that patent, and to any extent necessary, the disclosure of that patent is incorporated herein by reference.
Zipper equipped bags filled pursuant to U.S. Pat. No. 4,665,552 are closed at their mouth ends only by the reclosable fastener or zipper. However, there is a need to provide bags of this type with tamper evident means.
Heretofore, tamper evident or tamper proof bags have been heat sealed after filling. In U.S. Pat. No. 3,618,286 dated Nov. 9, 1971, the bags are heat sealed at their top ends after filling through such top ends. In U.S. Pat. No. 4,637,060 dated Jan. 13, 1987 and assigned to the same assignee as the present application, there is disclosed filling of the bags through open bottom ends which bottom ends are then sealed after filling of the bags.
For the user of simple manual link bag filling equipment such as exemplified in U.S. Pat. No. 4,665,552, the heat sealing technique involves unacceptable expense and complication in the apparatus.